Wellington  - Nippy, who was believed to live longer than any other gibbon in captivity, has been put down aged about 60 at Wellington Zoo after his health rapidly deteriorated, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

"The decision to euthanise him was not made lightly, but we firmly believe it was in his best interest," zoo manager Mauritz Basson told the Dominion Post. "His mind remained agile but it seemed that his body had just given up."

Nippy, believed to have been born in Borneo, had lived at the zoo since arriving as a one-year-old in December, 1949.

Zoo officials said gibbons rarely lived beyond 40 in the wild. (dpa)